The will of Robert Hancock

Date: 1711 [unknown]
Location: Steeple Ashton, Wiltshire, England
Surnames/tags: Hancock Handcock Bendy

Transcription of the will of Robert Hancock. The will was written on 22 December 1710 and proved on 9 May 1711^[1]

Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the register copy. Capital F is rendered as F rather than ff. Abbreviations are expanded and additions noted in [square brackets]. Paragraph breaks (where added) and bold text for names are my own for ease of reading.

People mentioned in will :

Mary Handcock my Wife

Priscilla Bendy my sister [& her children]

William Bendy

Sarah Bendy

Mary Bendy

Jane Buttler

Elizabeth Bendy

Anne Bendy

John Bendy

Daniell Bendy

Joseph Bendy

Anne Hughes my Sister

Elizabeth Gilbert my Sister [& her children]

Robert Gilbert

John Gilbert

William Gilbert

Elizabeth Gilbert

William Dunford son of Robert and Anne Dunford

Ambrose Turner of Keevill

William Ball of Steeple Ashton

---

In the Name of God Amen I Robert Handcock of Steeple Ashton in the County of Wiltshire Broad Weaver being
sick and weake in body but of sound and p[er]fect memory thanks be Given to Almighty God for the same, doe
make and ordeyne this my last will and Testament in Writting in Manner and forme following (viz)
firstI Give and bequeath my soule into the hands of Almighty God that Gave it to me hoping to be saved
by the Death and Merritts of Jesus Christ my only Savior and Redeemer, And my body I committ to the
Earth from whence it was taken to be decently Interred at the discretion of my Executrix herein
after Named And for my Worldly Goods I dispose thereof as followeth (viz) first I Give and bequeath unto
William Bendy the son of Priscilla Bendy my sister my broad loome that was my fathers to be delivered
unto him within one Monthe after my decease, It[em] I Give and bequeath unto the said William Bendy
My other broad loome situate and being in my Now dwelling house in Steeple Ashton to be delivered unto
him Immediately after the decease of Mary Handcock my Wife It[em] I Give and bequeath unto Sarah
Bendy the Daughter of the said Priscilla Bendy my Sister My best beed and beedsteed with all the
Beedding and other Appurtenances there unto belonging My Six black Chaires and my Warming pann
to be delivered unto her Immediately after the decease of the said Mary my Wife, It[em] I Give and bequeath
unto Anne Hughes my Sister my five Grates my ovill Table and fifteen pounds of Lawfull Mony of Great
Britaine to be paid and delivered unto her Immediately after the Decease of the said Mary my Wife It[em]
I Give and bequeath unto the said William Bendy the son of my Said Sister priscilla My Brewing furnance
with the Grate thereunto belonging situate and being at my Now Dwelling house in Steeple Ashton But my
Will is that the said furnance and Grate shall not be removed out of the said house but shall continue
there for the use of Mary my Wife and Robert Gilbert the son of Elizabeth Gilbert my sister successively
untill such time as the said William Bendy shall be possesed of the said house, It[em] I Give and bequeath
unto Mary Bendy Jane Buttler Elizabeth Bendy and Anne Bendy the four other daughters of the said
priscilla Bendy my Sister all the rest and residue of my houshold Goods scituate and being in my Now dwelling
house in Steeple Ashton to be equally divided between them Immediately after the decease of the said Mary
my Wife And if any or Eyther the said Sarah Bendy Mary Bendy Jane Buttler Elizabeth Bendy or Anne Bendy
shall dye and departe this life before the decease of the said Mary my Wife My Will is that the Legacy
or Legacies of her or them so dyeing shall be and remaine to the Survivors or Survivor of them the
Said Sarah Bendy Mary Bendy Jane Buttler Elizabeth Bendy and Anne Bendy Equally to be divided between
them, It[em] I Give and bequeath unto the said priscilla Bendy my Sister the sum of Ten pounds of Lawfull Mony
of Great Britaine to be paid unto her Immediately after the decease of the said Mary my Wife It[em] I Give
and bequeath unto Elizabeth Gilbert my Sister the sum of five pounds of Lawfull Mony of Great Britain
to be paid unto her Immediately after the decease of the said Mary my Wife It[em] I Give and bequeath unto
William Dunford son of Robert and Anne Dunford of Chittren in the said County of Wiltes the sum
of five pounds of Lawfull Mony of Great Britaine to be paid unto him Immediately after the decease
of the said Mary my Wife It[em] I Give and bequeath unto John Bendy Daniell Bendy and Joseph

[Page 2]
Bendy Three other sonns of the said priscilla Bendy my Sister the sum of ten pounds a peece to be
paid unto the said priscilla Bendy their Mother Immediately after the decease of the said Mary
my Wife for my Will is that the said priscilla my Sister shall have the Interest of the said Three
last Legacies from the time of the reception thereof dureing the Term of her Naturall Life for
and towards her better Maintenance but if the said priscilla Bendy my Sister shall dye and
depart this Life before the said Mary my Wife That then the said Legacy of Ten pounds herein by
me Given and beqeathed unto her my will is it shall be and remaine to be paid unto the said
John Bendy her son and my Will is that if any or Eyther the said William Bendy John Bendy Daniell
Bendy or Joseph Bendy shall Dye and depart this Life before the decease of the said Mary my Wife my
will is that the Legacy or Legacies of him or them so dyeing shall be and remain unto the survivor or
survivors of them the said William Bendy John Bendy Daniell Bendy and Joseph Bendy Equally divided
between them but my Will is that the said Mary my Wife shall have the use and Interest of ^^{all my} Goods and Mony
(Except the broad Looms first above mentioned) dureing the Term of her Naturall Life And Whereas
the mony herein by me Given and bequeathed is out upon bond at Interest if any of the said Mony shall
be lost my Will is that my Legatees shall beare an Equall share of the said Loss and not that my Executrix
shall be charged therewith It[em] I Give and bequeath unto John Gilbert one of the sonns of the said Elizabeth
Gilbert my Sister all my wearing Apparrell It[em] all the rest and residue of my Goods and Chattles
Whatsoever Not herein before Given and bequeathed I Give and bequeath unto the said Mary
Handcock my Loveing Wife whome I make and ordeyne the sole Executrix of this my last will and
Testament And I desire and Appoynt my loveing friends Ambrose Turner of Keevill in the said County
of Wiltes Taylor and William Ball of Steeple Ashton aforesaid Grocer to be overseers of this my Will and
to be Ayding and Assisting to my Executrix in the Execution thereof and for their care and paines therein
I Give unto them halfe a Guinea a peece In Witness whereof I have hereunto Sett my hand and
Seale the Two and Twentieth day of December in the Nineth yeare of the Reigne of our Soveraigne
Lady Anne by the Grace of God of Great Britaine France & Ireland Queen defender of the faith Anno Dom[ini] 1710
Robert Handcock
his H marke

Signed Sealed published & declared
by the Testator to be his last will and
Testament in the p[re]sence of us
the words (all my) being first Interlin[e]d
Will: Saben
Wiliam [mattock?] senio[r]

[Codicil]
Be it known unto all men by these p[re]sents That Whereas
I Robert Handcock of Steeple Ashton in the County of
Wiltes Broad Weaver have made and declared my last
Will and testament in Writting bearing date the Two and
Twentieth day of this p[re]sent Monthe of December Anno
Dom[ini] 1710 I the said Robert Handcock do hereby this p[re]sent
Codicil confirm and ratifie my said last will & Testament
And do Give and bequeath unto William Gilbert one other
Son of the said Elizabeth Gilbert my Sister parte of my
Wearing Apparrell (that is to say) a Light Culler Cloath
Brickes And Whereas it is the will of Almighty God to
question whether I have in and by my said last will and
Testament Given ^^{my Executrix} sufficient to defray the Cost and Charge
shee m^^ay be Att, I do therefore Give and bequeath unto the
said Mary Handcock my Wife the sum of Nine pounds of
Lawfull Mony of Great Britaine To be taken out of the
Legacies by me Given and bequeathed unto Anne Hughes
my Sister And Twenty Shillings a peece to be reducted out
of the Legacies by me Given and bequeath unto priscilla Bendy
my Sister and John Bendy Daniell Bendy and Joseph Bendy her
Three sons to make good the said Sum of Nine pounds above
mentioned Also I do Give and bequeath unto Elizabeth Gilbert
the daughter of Elizabeth Gilbert my Sister the sum of fortie
shillings of Lawfull Mony of Great Britaine twentie Shillings
thereof to be reducted out of the Legacies by me Given and be-
-queathed unto the said Elizabeth Gilbert my Sister and the other
by me Given and bequeathed unto William Dunford of Chittren
to make Good the said sum of fortie Shillings and to be paid after
the Decease of the said Mary my Wife And my Will and Meaning
is That this Codicil or Schedule be and be adjudged to be part
and parcel of my said last will and Testament And that all things
herein contained and Mentioned be faithfully and truly p[er]formed
and as fully and amply in Every respect as if the same were
so declared and set down in any said Last will and testament
In Witness Whereof I have hereunto Set my hand and Seale
the five and Twentieth day of December in the Nineth
yeare of her p[re]sent Ma[jes]^ties Reigne [?] Annoq[ue] Dom[ini] 1710
the Marke
H Robard handcock
of

Signed Sealed published and declared
by the said Robert Handcock in the p[re]sence
of us (the words (my executrix) being first Interlin[e]d
James Bendy
Robeart [Hawkins?]

Sources

1. ↑ Probate: "Wiltshire, England, Wills and Probate, 1530-1858"
   Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre; Chippenham, Wiltshire, England; Wiltshire Wills and Probates; Reference Number: P1/H/671
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 61333 #134299 (accessed 24 December 2021)
   Robert Handcock probate in 1711.